UKC

saw some DMM cirque ice axes going down the nearby Cotswold Shop,

only £45 they look great

its one of them mornings in the office I was thinking of poping down for an extended lunchbreak to the gear shop and buy one.

dont need it till winter but its a good price,

any one know of any reason not to but the DMM cirque

In reply to Dave Murphy:

ok thanks for all that advice, ill go buy it anyway

In reply to Dave Murphy:

No don't buy it its.... oh its to late
If you want a reply you might have the patience to wait more than 2 hours!!

In reply to Dave Murphy: see - you need the first bump

what do you want it for?

In reply to rich:

ha ha havent bought it yet, i was planning to use it winter munroing and on a scottice winter technical course in feb with PYB

In reply to Dave Murphy:


its a great axe, but depends what you want to do with it.

Walking only, or climbing grade I snow gullies as a single tool - go for it, it's great.

Climbing grade II - III, as well as walking - probably better getting a raptor (cheaply available still) or similar. That way you can match the axe with a hammer more easily, have a better pick for climbing, but also an axe that is fine for walking with.

If you have a seperate set of tools for climbing then this would make a great walking axe. Beware "outgrowing" it though if you intend to climb with it as well. Mine is 55cm, and I'm 5'9''.

In reply to johnsdowens:

im 6-1 and the axe is 60cm i think, i'll pretend t ogo for a dump later after lunch and walk over and get it.

45 min dumps a re the norm arround here , its the civil service

In reply to johnsdowens:

just looked ta reptor, good advice you've got there

ta

In reply to Dave Murphy:

People might look at you funny if you go for a long dump and come back holding an ice axe.

Best to think of a good excuse beforehand....

In reply to ewang:

good point didnt think of that!!
will bring holdall with me when i go for dump

In reply to Dave Murphy:

Just announce loudly that you're off to buy an axe... they won't trouble you for anything again.

In reply to finkployd:

lol, wonder what security guard would do if he saw it in the bag

In reply to Dave Murphy: it is a nice walking axe. however, i think that the Bd raven pro is much nicer (assetically and to use) better finished. i've i were you i would get either the Bd venom, Grivel Air tech or DMM Raptor (£70 the pair on needlesports). as a hammer for all thes can be purchased for when you want to do some 'real' climbing. lengthwise, betwen 50-55 cm is fine naytihng else is too long. also, if you buy the raptos get another leash as the ones supplyied are shite. Grivle Easy g are the mutts.

In reply to The Great Pretender:

why is a hammer needed

In reply to Dave Murphy:

One uses a hammer to strike things with.

----------------------------------------------------------

Proper answer - for climbing harder routes using a 'two axe' technique. I know one of the axes is actually a hammer, but hopefully you'll instantly be able to visualise yourself with a tool in each hand, valiantly pounding your way up some forsaken scottish or polish gully.

Also mucho help when digging burying one 'axe' as a belay - to still have another one to do the burying with.

In reply to Jonah:

And of course the hammer is a hammer because some ice screws are what is known as 'drive in, screw out' and also in countries with more mountains than us it's still considered OK to whack pitons into the rock every now and then.

In reply to Jonah:

thanks jonah

In reply to Dave Murphy:

I have one - it's great! Just winter walking and easy routes so far, but more to come this winter...

Will get a more technical pair later when i know more of what i'll need (and what i'll be doing with them etc.) but thought this would be great for a year or 2 until then, and keep being good for the walking and easy stuff...

Seems to be working!

In reply to Dave Murphy: like jonna said. it is used to wack tihngs, for example, pegs and warthogs and it is helpful to seat wires and hexes. go for the raptors. cna't go wrong with 2 axes for £70!

In reply to The Great Pretender:

im 6-1 those raptors for £70 are 45cm, are they too small for me? if i get technical axes and wont have walking one then.

Was looking at the BD venom, its £75 i seen but willdo fine as walking and i can get hammer later when its "hammertime"

In reply to Dave Murphy: no they aren't to smally for you. the likes of norrie and bob will have climbed routes with teradactals (around 38cm) and chacals (42). 45cm is quite short, but it isn't too short for you. get the grivels if it is such a problem.

In reply to The Great Pretender:

Dear Pretender

The type of routes Bob and myself did are different from the type that Dave will do, so it is irrelevant what we used.

Norrie

In reply to Norrie Muir: good ponit. i was just poniting out that the axes were much shorter. and i did ponit out that he should get grivles instead.

In reply to The Great Pretender:

Dear Pretender

Have you winter climbed or are you just a snow plodder?

Norrie

In reply to Norrie Muir:

I've done some winter climbing in Wales but there was no snow last year so it was just hard scrambling in the end

As ive said im off on PYB technical snow and ice this winter, and expect to continue after that to winter climb and winter munro.

The course brief mentions some grade II and III climbs in and about Glen Coe , so after tha tI'd expect to continue to winter climb ( if I can find partner) at that level for a bit before pushing myself at hjigher grades.

Current ambition would be to get myself to a point where I had the skill / judgement to be attempting AD and AD+ in alpine setting for my 40th which is 4 1/2 years away?

So axes to suit realy, need to be able to get matchign hammer but long enough to use as walkign axe.

Have just measured with a 50cm ruler and your right 45cm might be good .

In reply to Dave Murphy:

Jobs done and a good one,

ordered the DMM Raptors from Needlesports, free postage for online orders.

apparently there are plenty in stock

Thanks for the advice i feal ive got a bargain picked up a pair of those Grivel easy g too.

if it all goes wrong see them soon on ebay

In reply to Dave Murphy:

Dear Dave

Sorry, but I never gave you any advice on this thread. If I had I would not recommend a walking axe, I use a walking pole when on the hill in winter. As for winter climbing, I prefer 2 hammers rather than an axe and hammer.

Norrie

In reply to Norrie Muir:

2 hammers?

is there little need of adze in scottish winter work

In reply to Norrie Muir:
why do you prefer two hammers?

better swing?
better for knocking the pick of either axe in to a crack?

both?
neither?

What do you do if you need to tunnel through a cornice?

Stevo

In reply to Dave Murphy:

Dear Dave

There is a need sometimes, but I posted it was my preferrence.

Norrie

In reply to CurlyStevo:
Dear Curly

If I needed to tunnel through a cornice, I would be off route. Anyway tunnelling through a cornice is no big deal, just hard work.

Norrie

In reply to Norrie Muir:
Yeah I guess tunneling is a last resort generaly cornices are avoided

In reply to Norrie Muir: yes norrie have winter climbed, but unfotuantley due to lack of transport not much. i will hopefully get out alot more this comming winter as both me and my friends will be able to drive. how far is it to walk from the train station in fort bill to the CIC??